Draft-operated scraper



Oct; ,4, 1927, 1,644,243

A. B. ESSELTJNE DRAFT OPERATED SCRAPER Filed Dec. 29, 1923' I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 W7 M363 1511/ M5255 {(2%}; W a

I v '3. 41K i /044 v Oct. 4, 1927'. 3

A. B. ESSELTINE DRAFT OPERATED SCRAPER Filed Dec. 28, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 4, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED B. ESSELTINE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T GOODMAN MANUFACTUR- ING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

DRAFT-OPERATED SCRAPER.

Application filed December 28 1923, Serial No. 683,116. Renewed March 28, 1927.

This invention relates to improvements in draft operated scrapers used for gathering and transporting loose material and has for its principal object to provide an lmpreved form of scraper capable of bemg initially deflected from the normal path of movement to gather loose material distributed over relatively wide areas. Further ob ect-s are to provide a scraper which may be automatically opened and used in either a right or left-hand operation with equal facility without any change of construction, and to provide an improved method of gathering coal or the like from a mine room.

More specifically the prevent lnvention consists in'providing a scraper with movable side walls, pivotally connected at the rear end of the scraper, such scraper being reciprocably movable by means of a head rope and a tail rope, in the presentunstance the latter having positive connection with a toggle member at the rear end of the scrap-er. Means are also provided for engaging the side of the toggle member lying adjacent the outer side of the scraper, 1. e., the side away from the working face, whereby the scraper is automatically opened when drawn rearwardly toward the far corner of the room and its initial forward movement will be directed laterally to gather the loose material at one side of its normal path of rearward movement, that is, toward the working face of the mine.

Details of this invention may be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: I

Figure 1 is a rear view in perspective of a scraper constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the scraper showing it in closed position 1n full hues and partially opened in dotted lines;

Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 are views 1l1ustrating a typical installatlon of the scraper 1n a mine and showing the scraper in four different positions during aloading operatlon.

Referring now to details, the scraper comprises a body made up of two slde walls 10, 11, preferably diverging from the rear to the front end thereof, although other forms and shapes of scraper body may be provided, if desired. The scraper is preferably bottomless, the Walls 10 and 11 being provided with inwardly extending flanges 12, 12, along their lower margins to form cutting edges for engaging the material to be gathered. The walls 10 and 11 are pivotally connected by ahinge, which may be of any suitable form, for instance, it may comprise a pair of eyes 13, 13, on one wall 10, and an intermediate eye 14 on the other wall 11, with a hinge pin 15 of any approved pattern extending therethrough. As shown herein the side walls 10, 11, are hinged centrally of the rear end although under some conditions it may be desirable to vary the is such that the free end of the pipe 17 engages a stop 18 on the bar to limit the in-- ward movement of the walls 10 and 11.

As shown herein the tail rope connection comprises a suitable eye 26 located centrally of a Vshaped toggle member 27. The outer or extending ends of this member vare pivotally joined at 28 and 29 respectively to one end of links "34 and 35. The inner end of the link 34 is pivotally secured to the adjacent wall 10 of the scraper by means of a pin' 36 in a bearing 37, herein formed integral with the eye 14. Similarly the inner end of the link is pivotally secured to the wall 11 by a pin 38 extending through the bearing 39, herein formed integral with the eyes 13, 13. The arrangement is such that an unobstructed, normal pull rearwardly on the tail rope 22 will not tend to open the scraper, but when either side of the toggle member 27 comes into contact with a stop or the like, as for example the arm 27 contacting with the stop 40, the former is forced inwardly with the link 35 to-- ward the scraper wall 10 and causes the pivotal connection 28 and the link 34 to be forced outwardly from the wall 11, whereby a pull is exerted in a direction to force the wall '11 outward or open with respect to the opposite wall 1.0. Similarly, a contact between the arm 27 and the stop 40 would force the former, together withthe link 34:, inwardly. toward the scraper wall 11, whereg nee.-

by a pull would be exerted upon the wall 10 through the pivotal connection 29 and the link 35.

The use and operation of the scraper above described will be understood by reference to Figures 3, 1, 5 and 6, illustrating its use in a mine room. In this instance the scraper is being used for gathering loose material adjacent the working face, indicated at 30. A side wall or rib 31 meets the working face 30 at an angle, forming a corner as shown in these figures. In Figure i a pile of loose material has been deposited on the floor adjacent the working face, the toe or forward edge of this pile being indicated at 32; The scraper is installed for reciprocable movement in the usual manner along the working face, as well known to those familiar with mining methods. The tail rope 22 is trained over a sheave or guide Al fixed by a jack or similar means against the side wall or rib 31 and adjacent the working face 30, substantially as shown in the diagram.

In the loading operation the scraper is pulled rearwardly by the tail rope which is engaged with the toggle member 27, substantially in alignment with its longitudinal axis. As the scraper approaches the corner of the room, as shown in Figure 4;. one'side of the member 27 will become engaged with the stop a0, which herein is preferably a mine jack of the usual type, whereby further draft on the scraper will cause it to swing .about at an angle to its-normalcourseof rearward movement. Simultaneously this movement tends to swing the scraper side 10 pivotally on its hinge into an open position. In Figure 5 the scraper is shown in its farthest position adjacent the sheave 41, in which position the tension on the tail rope is released. It will be observed that the hinged portions or walls 10 and 11 are fully spread apart so that the head rope terminals 21, 21 are substantially in a straight line to limit further movement of the walls. The scraper is thus automatically brought into position to initially engage the pile of loose material while directed toward the working face. Obviously, the stop or jack 40 may be positioned at will to actuate the scraper at any desired point and may be placed on either side of the tail rope to direct the scraper toward the opposite side. Furthermore, the tail rope sheave or guide 41 may be used ,as a stop when the scraper is to be moved into the far corner of the room. The use of the guide 41 in this manner is illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 2.

While I have shown and described one form in which my invention may be embodied it will be understood that the arrangement and construction of the parts may be altered without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Further more, I do not wish to. be understood as limiting myself to the particular construction illustrated except as specifically limited in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention: r

1. A scraper provided withforwardly extending walls movable laterally "ithrespect to each other, and a tail rope having con-- nection with said scraper to move the same in a rearward direction either in alignment with the longitudinal axis thereof and turned at an angle to such axis at will.

2. A scraper provided with forwardly extending walls movable laterally with respect to each other, toggle means at the rear end of the scraper having connection with both of said walls, and a tail rope having connection with said toggle means to "move the scraper in a rearward direction, said toggle .means being adapted to engage a fixed stop at one side of said rope to swing said scraper at an angle to its normal path of rearward movement. L

8. A scraper provided with forwardly extending walls movable laterally with respect to each other, toggle means at the rear end of the scraper having connection with both of said walls, and a tail rope having connection with said toggle means to move the scraper in a rearward direction. said toggle means being adapted to engage a fixed stop at one side of said rope and being'operable to automatically open said movable walls.

A. A scraper provided with forwardly extending walls movable laterally with respect to each other, toggle means at the rear end of the scraper having connect-ion with both of said walls, and a tail rope having connection with said toggle means to move the scraper in a rearward direction, said toggle means being adapted to engage a fixed stop at one side of said rope and being operable to automatically open the wall opposite the side engaged by said fixed support. 1

5. A scraper provided with forwardly ex tending walls movablelaterally withrespect to each other, toggle means at the rear end of the scraper having connection with both of said walls, and a tail rope having connection with said toggle means to nf'ove the scraper in a rearward direction, said toggle means being adapted to engage a fixed stop at either side of said rope and being operable to automatically openthe wall opposite the side engaged by said fixed support.

6. A scraper provided with forwardly extending walls movable laterally with respect to each other, and a rope having connection with a rocking member at the rear end of said scraper, said rocking member being adapted to engage a fixed stop and operable to automatically open said movable walls.

7 A scraper provided with forwardly extending walls movable laterally with respect to each other, and a rope having connection with a rocking member at the rear end of said scraper, said rocking member being adapted to engage a fixed stop atone side of said rope and operable to swing the scraper at an angle to its normal path of rearward movement.

8. A scraper provided with forwardly eX- tending walls movable laterally with respect to each other, and arope having connection with a rocking member at the rear end of said scraper, said rocking member being adapted to engage a fixed stop at one side of said rope, operable to swing the 15 scraper at an angle to its normal path of rearward movement, and simultaneously open said movable walls.

9. A. scraper provided with forwardly extending walls pivotally connected at their rear ends to be movable laterally with respect to each other, a drag line for said scraper, and means limiting the inward movement of said walls comprising apair of telescoping members, each pivotally connected with one of saidwalls adjacent the forward end.

Signed at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, this 21st day of December, A. D. 1923.

ALFRED B. ESSELTINE. 

